The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s center for disease control and control, reported 65,371 new cases in the past 24 hours – an increase of 12,545 new infections compared to the previous 24-hour period.
But these numbers may not be reported, and the true scale of infections could be “double or triple”, RKI Director Lothar Wieler said in an online discussion with the state prime minister. Saxony, Michael Kretschmer on Wednesday night.
The country reported 264 Covid-19-related deaths between Wednesday and Thursday, pushing the total number of deaths since the pandemic broke out to 98,000 in Germany, according to RKI data. data of RKI.
Germany’s seven-day illness rate also hit a record 336.9 cases per 100,000 people, up from 249.1 cases reported a week ago, RKI reported.
Germany has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe, with just over 67% of the population fully vaccinated. According to the RKI, about 33% have no protection against the virus.
According to experts, this is one of the reasons why infections have risen to record levels.
”The current pandemic situation in Germany is so dramatic, I can’t say otherwise,” outgoing Chancellor Merkel told mayors across Germany. on Wednesday.
She added: ”It would be a disaster to act only when the intensive care units are full, because by then it will be too late.
‘Lockdown for the unvaccinated’
This situation means that Germany is well on its way to becoming the next country to impose stricter regulations on those who are not fully immunized. The three parties forming the country’s future new coalition government will debate draft legislation on Thursday that will see stricter rules come into effect.
The proposed measures would require Germans to provide proof of vaccinations or test negative in order to ride a bus or board a train, which, in the process of expanding the country’s “3G” system, requires citizens to must enter certain places and contexts. Free Covid-19 tests will be reintroduced as well as allowing working from home whenever possible.
Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that the rules come into effect resulting in “lockdown on the unvaccinated.”
Merkel will also debate the implementation of stricter Covid-19 regulations with the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states.
Berlin has imposed restrictions on unvaccinated people, where as of Monday proof of full vaccination or recovery from Covid-19 in the last six months is required to enter bars, restaurants, cinemas and other entertainment venues.
However, the current wave of infections is mainly affecting the southern and eastern regions of the country, where vaccine uptake is lower.
Vaccination rates have increased as officials urge the public to vaccinate. “For the first time since August, more than 500,000 citizens in Germany were vaccinated in a single day yesterday,” Germany’s acting Health Minister Jens Spahn tweeted on Thursday.
This number includes 381,560 booster shots, he said, “very important to breaking this 4th wave.”
Germany’s vaccine advisory committee recommended the booster for everyone over 18 on Thursday as it tries to tackle weakened immunity from the two-dose regimen.
If the measures proposed by the union are agreed, they will bring Germany closer to its southern neighbor Austria, where an attack on the unvaccinated went into effect on Monday. . It prohibits unvaccinated people – more than a third of the country’s population – from leaving their homes except for a few specific reasons.
On Thursday, the local government of Salzburg wrote on its website that the blockade would be extended to the entire population living in the provinces of Salzburg and Upper Austria as ”cases of new coronavirus continue to increase. strong.
Austria, where vaccine availability is lower than Germany, is suffering from a raging wave of infections and reported a record 15,145 new daily cases on Thursday.
The country’s 7-day infection rate also hit a record 989 cases per 100,000 people.
In contrast, Spain and Portugal avoided the brunt of the winter wave after posting the highest vaccination rates in Europe.
France, which has nearly 75% of its total population vaccinated, is coping with the new wave of infections better than its neighbours.
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said nearly 5 million French people had been vaccinated with a Covid booster vaccine on Thursday.
“It’s a lot,” Attal said. It puts us above most of our European neighbors, but it’s still too few. “We have to move on.”
CNN’s Rob Picheta, Martin Goillandeau, Xiaofei Xu and Meredith Ruleman contributed to this report.
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